Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy for the construction of six Moose 340C Catamarans. The contract totals approximately $2,750,000 and all six boats are to be delivered over a 16 month time period. The first boat will be delivered in January 2004.
The Moose 340C is a 36’-5” All-Aluminum Jet Powered Catamaran with twin Cummins 370hp turbo diesels and is propelled by Hamilton 292 water jets. These vessels will be assigned to stations in Europe. The Moose Boat design was chosen because of its fast and stable catamaran hull and its powerful water jet propulsion that was suited to meet mission requirements. The wide stable hull along with an all-weather cabin will accommodate a crew of four, in comfort. If required, she can be deployed at speeds over 32 knots with armament including 50 caliber and M60 machine guns.
Moose Boats recently built a similar vessel for the U.S. Park Police that now patrols the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, New York Harbor and surrounding areas.
Moose Boats are all welded aluminum construction, enormously strong, lightweight, corrosion and impact resistant. They are rugged and multi-purpose, with the ability to perform in a variety of environments. The catamaran hull has exceptional stability, superior sea handling capabilities, and improved efficiency over a conventional mono-hull. Currently Moose Boats offers three basic hulls with various cabin configurations, propulsion options and accessories that can be tailored to meet specific commercial and law enforcement needs.